Abstract
Pollution with heavy metals is a major environmental problem, and plants that accumulate these metals might provide efficient and ecologically sound approaches for their removal. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the phenological behavior and the potential to accumulate nutrients and heavy metals in the aboveground phytomass of two perennial grasses (Imperata cylindrica and Desmostachya bipinnata) along the watercourses in Nile Delta, Egypt. Twenty-five quadrats were selected seasonally, to represent the growth of the two grasses, along canals and drains of the Nile Delta. The phenological behavior of the studied species showed similar seasonal trends along the canals and drains. The average annual biomass of the living and dead parts of D. bipinnata (1901.3 g m−2) was higher than that of I. cylindrica (1626.4 g m−2). D. bipinnata accumulated higher concentrations of Na, and K (14.3, 26.2 mg g−1), while lower Ca, Mg, N, P and Fe (14.2, 11.4, 10.8, 0.3 and 1.4 mg g−1) than I. cylindrica (12.8, 24.8, 14.4, 14.7, 11.6, 0.4 and 2.0 mg g−1). The living parts of I. cylindrica accumulated the highest contents of carbohydrates and proteins during autumn and spring, respectively, while those of D. bipinnata had the highest ash content, but the lowest lipids during summer. D. bipinnata accumulated higher concentrations of Cu and Mn, but lower of Zn and Pb, than I. cylindrica in their living and dead parts. Heavy metals, except Zn, had BF more than unity, however, the uptake capability was in the order: Pb > Mn > Cu > Zn for I. cylindrica, while Pb > Cu > Mn > Zn for D. bipinnata. The analysis of the nutritive values for the two studied grasses evaluated them as poor forage. Finally, the high bioaccumulation factors of both species for Mn, Cu and Pb, in addition to their ability to accumulate the highest concentrations of macro- and micronutrient in the dead parts, render these species a powerful phytoremediator for the removal of these metals from contaminated ecosystems.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abd El-Salam H (1985) Grazing capacity per feddan at Omayed grazing area, the northern coastal zone, western to Alexandria. Ph.D. Thesis, Alexandria Univ. p 166
Adesogon AT, Givens DI, Owen E (2000) Measuring chemical composition and nutritive value in forages. In: Mannetje L. t’, Jones RM (Eds.), Field and laboratory methods for grassland and animal production research. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon, p 263-278
Al-Kouthayri GR, Hassan AA (1998) Survey of major weeds in Hadramout Valley. Yemen Arab J Plant Protect 16(1):19–26
Allen SE (1989) Chemical analysis of ecological materials. Blackwell Scientific Publications, London
Anonymous (1975) Energy allowances and feeding system for ruminants. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, Technical Bulletin, London, p 33
Badeck FW, Bondeau A, Bottcher K, Doktor D, Lucht W, Schaber J, Sitch S (2004) Responses of spring phenology to climate change. New Phytol 162(2):295–309
Baldantoni D, Alfani A, Di Tommasi P, Bartoli G, Virzo De Santo A (2004) Assessment of macro- and micro-element accumulation capability of two aquatic plants. Environ Poll 130:149–156
Borkert CM, Cox FR, Tucker MR (1998) Zinc and copper toxicity in peanut, soybean, rice and corn in soil mixtures. Comm Soil Sci Plant Anal 29:2991–3005
Bose S, Vedamati J, Rai V, Ramanathan AL (2008) Metal uptake and transport by Typha angustata L. grown on metal contaminated waste amended soil: an implication of phytoremediation. Geoderma 145(1–2):136–142
Boudet G, Riviere R (1968) Emploi practique des analyses fourageres pour l’appreciation pasturages tropicaux. Revue d’Elevage et de Medecine Veterinaire des Pays Tropicaux 2(21):227–266
Boulos L (2009) Flora of Egypt: checklist. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo, Revised Annotated Edition 410 pp
Chapin FS, Randerson JT, Mc Guire AD, Foley JA, Field CB (2008) Changing feedbacks in the climate-biosphere system. Front Ecol Environ 6:313–320
Chauhan TR, Gill RS, Ichhponani JS (1980) Nutritive value of berseem and clusterbean forages. Ind J Animal Sci 50(12):1052–1055
Cronk JK, Fennessy MS (2001) Wetland plants: biology and ecology. Lewis Publisher, Boca Raton
Dagar JC, Tomar OS, Kumar Y, Yadav RK (2004) Growing three aromatic grasses in different alkali soils in semi-arid regions of northern India. Land Degrad Dev 15:143–151
Demarquilly C, Weiss P (1970) Tableau de la valeur alimentaire des fourrages. Et. 42: Versailles INRA-SEI
Denga H, Ye ZH, Wonga MH (2004) Accumulation of lead, zinc, copper and cadmium by 12 wetland plant species thriving in metal-contaminated sites in China. Environ Poll 132:29–40
Dhir B, Sharmila P, Pardah Saradhi P (2009) Potential of aquatic macrophytes for removing contaminants from the environment. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 39:754–781
Eid EM, Shaltout KH, Al-Sodany YM, Soetaert K, Jensen K (2010) Modeling growth, carbon allocation and nutrient budget of Phragmites australis in Lake Burullus. Egypt Wetlands 30:240–251
El-Kady HF. (1987). A study of range ecosystems of the western Mediterranean coastal desert of Egypt. Ph.D. Thesis. Technical University, Berlin, p 138
El-Kady H (2002) Seasonal variation in phytomass and nutrient status of Phragmites australis along the water courses in the Middle Delta region. Taeckholmia 20(2):123–138
El-Komy TM. (2002). Evaluation of the range plants along the water courses in the Nile Delta. Ph.D. Thesis. Tanta Univ., Tanta, Egypt, p 200
El-Sheikh MA. (1989). A study of the vegetation environmental relationships of the canal banks of the middle Delta region. M.Sc. Thesis, Tanta Univ., Tanta, Egypt, p 139
Engloner AI (2009) Structure, growth dynamics and biomass of reed (Phragmites australis)—a review. Flora 204:331–346
Farahat E, Galal TG, El-Midany M, Hassan LM. (2015). Effect of urban habitat heterogeneity on functional traits plasticity of the invasive species Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T. Aiton. Rendiconti 26(2): 193-201
Galal TM, Shehata HS (2013) Morphological variations, biomass and ion accumulation of the aboveground shoots of Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf. Flora 208:556–561
Garrett WN. (1980). Energy utilization of growing cattle as determined in seventy-two comparative slaughter experiments. In Mount LE (eds.), energy metabolism, EAAP Publ. No. 26, London
Gebhart DL, Johnson HB, Mayeux HS, Polley HW (1994) The CRP increases soil organic carbon. J. Soil Water Cons 49:488–492
Ghosh M, Singh SP (2005) A comparative study of cadmium phytoextraction by accumulator and weed species. Environ Poll 133:365–371
Graham RL, Wright LL, Turhollow AF (1992) The potential for short-rotation woody crops to reduce US CO2 emissions. Clim Change 22:222–238
Gulzar S, Khan MA, Liu Z (2007) Seed germination strategies of Desmostachya bipinnata: a fodder crop for saline soils. Rangeland Ecol Manage 60:401–407
Heneidy SZ, Bidak LM (1996) Halophytes as forage source in the western Mediterranean coastal region of Egypt. Desert Inst Bull 46(2):261–283
Holm LG, Plucknett DL, Pancho JV, Herberger JP (1977) The world’s worst weeds: distribution and biology. University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu
Lasat MM (2002) Phytoextraction of toxic metals: a review of biological mechanisms. J Environ Qual 31(1):109–120
Le Houérou HN (1980) Chemical composition and nutritive value of browse in Tropical West Africa. In: Houérou Le (ed) Browse in Africa. ILCA, Addis Ababa, pp 261–289
Lesica P, Kittelson PM (2010) Precipitation and temperature are associated with advanced flowering phenology in a semi-arid grassland. J Arid Environ 74:1013–1017
Madakadze IC, Stewart K, Petrson PR, Coulmans BE, Samson R, Smith DL (1998) Light interception, use-efficiency and energy yield of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) grown in a short season area. Biom Bioener 15(6):475–482
Mortimer DC (1985) Freshwater aquatic macrophytes as heavy metal monitors. The Ottawa River experience. Environ Monit Assess 5:311–323
Naga MA, El-Shazly K (1971) The prediction of the nutritive value of animal feeds from chemical analysis. J Agri Sci 77:25
NRC (1975). Nutrient requirements of domestic animals: nutrient requirement of cheep. (5th Ed). National Research Council No. 5, Washington DC, Nat. Acad. Sci. p 72
NRC (1978). Nutrient requirements of domestic animals: nutrient requirement of dairy cattle. (5th Edn.). National Research Council No. 3, Washington DC, Nat Acad Sci p 76
NRC (1981). Nutrient requirements of domestic animals: nutrient requirement of goats. National Research Council No. 15, Washington, DC, Nat Acad Sci p 80
NRC (1984). Nutrient requirements of domestic animals: nutrient requirement of beef cattle (6th Edn.). National Research Council No. 5, Washington DC, Nat Acad Sci p 90
Rathcke B, Lacey EP (1985) Phenological patterns of terrestrial plants. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 16:179–214
Ratko K, Snežana B, Dragica OP, Ivana B, Nada D (2011) Assessment of heavy metal content in soil and grasslands in national park of the lake plateau of the NP “Durmitor” Montenegro. Afr J Biotechnol 10:5157–5165
Sanderson MA, Reed RL, McLaughlin SB, Wullschleger SD, Conger BV, Parrish DJ, Wolf DD, Taliaferro C, Hopkins AA, Ocumpaugh WR, Husley MA, Read JC, Tischler CR (1996) Switchgrass as a sustainable bioenergy crop. Bioresour Technol 56:83–93
SAS (1985) SAS/STAT User’s Guide. SAS Instruction Incorporation, Cary, NC
Shaltout KH, Galal TM, El-Komy TM (2010) Evaluation of the nutrient status of some hydrophytes in the water courses of Nile Delta. Egypt Ecol Medit 36(1):77–87
Shaltout KH, El-Komi TM, Eid ME (2012) Seasonal variation in the phytomass, chemical composition and nutritional value of Azolla filiculoides Lam along the water courses in Nile Delta, Egypt. Fed Repert 123(1):37–49
Shaltout KH, Galal TM, El-Komy TM. (2013a). Nutrients and heavy metals accumulation in the aboveground biomass of two perennial grasses along the water courses of Nile Delta, Egypt. Egyptian J Bot 201–218
Shaltout KH, Galal TM, El-Komy TM (2013b) Biomass, nutrients and nutritive value of Persicaria salicifolia Willd. in the water courses of Nile Delta. Egypt Rendiconti 25:167–179
Shoukry MM (1992) An actual vision about the availability of the utilization of water hyacinth in feeding ruminants. National Symposium on Water Hyacinth, Assiut Uni, pp 75–92
Shu WS, Ye ZH, Lan CY, Zhang ZQ, Wong MH (2002) Lead, zinc and copper accumulation and tolerance in populations of Paspalum distichum and Cynodon dactylon. Environ Poll 120:445–453
Srivastava AK, Purnima X (1998) Phytoremediation for heavy metals: a land plant based sustainable strategy for environmental decontamination. Proc Nat Acad Sci India Sect B Biol Sci 68(35): 199–215
Stanton ML, Roy BA, Thiede DA (2000) Evolution in stressful environments. I. Phenotypic variability, phenotypic selection, and response to selection in five distinct environmental stresses. Evolution 54:93–111
UNESCO (1977). Map of the world distribution of arid regions. MAB Technical Notes, 7
Welsh RP. (1977). Studies on the uptake, translocation and accumulation of trace metals and phosphorus in aquatic plants. Ph.D. Thesis, Wastfield College, University of London. p 331
Xi JB, Zhang HX (2005) Winter-green technology on Zoysia japonica L. No. 3 sport field turf in south subtropic region. J Zhongshan Univ 44:93–95
Xiao R, Bai J, Zhang H, Gao H, Liua X, Wilkes A (2011) Changes of P, Ca, Al and Fe contents in fringe marshes along a pedogenic chronosequence in the Pearl River estuary. South China Cont Shelf Res 31:739–747
Yan X, Zhang F, Zeng C, Zhang M, Devkota LP, Yao T (2012) Relationship between heavy metal concentrations in soils and grasses of roadside farmland in Nepal. Int J Environ Res Pub Heal 9:3209–3226
Zavoda J, Cutright T, Szpak J, Fallon E (2001) Uptake, selectivity, and inhibition of hydroponics treatment of contaminants. J Environ Eng 127(6):502–508
Zhang G, Song Q, Yang D (2006) Phenology of Ficus racemosa in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. Biotropica 38:334–341
Zhang F, Yan X, Zeng C, Zhang M, Shrestha S, Devkota LP, Yao T (2012) Influence of traffic activity on heavy metal concentrations of roadside farmland soil in mountainous areas. Int J Environ Res Pub Heal 9:1715–1731
Zu YQ, Li Y, Chen JJ, Chen HY, Qin L, Christian S (2005) Hyperaccumulation of Pb, Zn and Cd in herbaceous plants grown on lead–zinc mining area in Yunnan. China Environ Int 31:755–762
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shaltout, K.H., Galal, T.M. & El-Komi, T.M. Phenology, biomass and nutrients of Imperata cylindrica and Desmostachya bipinnata along the water courses in Nile Delta, Egypt. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 27, 215–228 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0459-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0459-5